Hamas: "Israeli Airstrikes Near 1,000 Casualties"... International Community Flooded with Condemnation

Airstrike on Israel Jabalia Refugee Camp
195 Dead, 777 Injured
Total Death Toll Nears 9,000 in One Month
International Community Criticizes as "War Crime"

The Palestinian armed group Hamas stated that at least 195 people have died as the Israeli military launched massive bombings on the Jabalia refugee camp, the largest refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. Israel claimed the airstrike was aimed at killing one Hamas commander, but it has become difficult to avoid international criticism over the large-scale civilian casualties.

The Gaza Strip Ministry of Health announced that at least 8,796 Palestinians, including 3,648 children, have died due to Israeli airstrikes since October 7 in the narrow coastal area.

According to major foreign media, Hamas issued a statement saying that at least 195 people were killed, 120 went missing, and 777 were injured due to the Israeli military's airstrike on the Jabalia refugee camp. Hamas claimed that about 120 missing persons are still trapped under the rubble.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) bombed the Jabalia refugee camp for two consecutive days, following the attack on the 31st. Jabalia is the largest refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, with a population density more than five times that of Seoul. Initially, Hamas reported 400 casualties on the first day of the bombing, but as the airstrikes continued for two days, the number rose to about 970. Including the missing, the estimated death toll exceeds 1,000. The Gaza Strip Ministry of Health, governed by Hamas, reported that at least 8,796 Palestinians have died from Israeli attacks over the past month since October 7, including 3,648 children.

The IDF claimed that the airstrike was carried out to eliminate Ibrahim Biari, one of the Hamas commanders. IDF spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht stated that the Hamas commander was hiding among civilians in the refugee camp and that the attack was not aimed at civilians.

However, the international community condemned Israel's airstrikes as war crimes. The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed serious concern via the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), stating, "Israel's airstrike on the refugee camp may constitute a war crime considering the number of civilian casualties and the scale of destruction."

Josep Borrell, the European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, also criticized Israel's airstrikes as "appalling," emphasizing that "the safety and protection of civilians is not only a moral obligation but also a legal one." Qatar, mediating negotiations between the two sides, warned that "Israel's airstrikes represent a new massacre of defenseless Palestinian people," cautioning against the expansion of attacks targeting civilians.

Meanwhile, foreign passport holders trapped under the Gaza blockade began evacuating to Egypt starting from the 1st. The Egyptian government decided to allow foreign passport holders to enter Egypt through the Rafah crossing. Major foreign media reported that about 500 people were scheduled to leave the Gaza Strip that day. According to an anonymous diplomatic source, a total of 7,500 foreigners are expected to leave the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing over the next two weeks. This marks the first time people have exited the Gaza Strip since the outbreak of the war between Hamas and Israel 25 days ago.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.